THEATER REVIEW : Rowdy Old West Melodrama Lets Actors and Audience Whoop It Up

People who go to plays know better than to act up. They know they’re expected to sit still and keep their mouths shut.

It’s considered bad form in most theatrical circles to cheer a hero or boo a villain when actors appear on stage; and in London, New York and Los Angeles, this sort of thing will guarantee swift eviction from the playhouse.

In Moorpark, however, they encourage this kind of behavior.

Audiences feeling rowdy and looking for fun can find it in “Sagebrush Gang,” a full-blown musical complete with noble-minded heroes, blackhearted villains and simpering women, performed by the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama and Vaudeville Company.

Emotionality is laid on with a trowel as Sheriff Willie White and Black Bart square off in true melodramatic fashion in Randy J. Clifton’s musical set in the Old West. The plot is about a scheming sister and brother trying to sell off their innocent niece for a strip of land worth a million dollars, but the real entertainment is watching the actors ham it up.

The production is fun, informal and undemanding. The exaggerated Western drawls of the actors are so bad that it’s hard not to smile, and while no one in the cast seems destined to make it on Broadway, there are a few pleasing voices in the group.

Harve Waltke, who plays hero Willie White, seemingly was chosen because he looks good in white and has a nice profile--not for his singing ability. Of the leads, he has the weakest voice and does not appear as comfortable in front of the boisterous audience as other cast members.

His counterpart Damian Gravino fares better as Black Bart--the villain in the piece. Sporting heavy makeup to emphasize his slanted eyes, Gravino seems to be having fun swaggering about the stage, and he does a credible job as a likable gangster.

Gravino’s cohort in crime, Dolly Diamond, is played by Kimberly Decker, who apparently has seen too many Mae West movies. But she is entertaining as she slinks around the set, always on the verge of falling out of her costumes, cooing lines such as, “I never met a mayor I didn’t like.”

The real scene-stealer is Neal Boushell, who is hilarious as Deputy Bobby Tate. Boushell can blush on cue and hold a vacuous expression for any length of time, and his baby-faced countenance and large brown eyes are perfect for the part. Unlike some of his fellow cast members who use mugging as their only means of expression, Boushell doesn’t hesitate to flop his limbs all over stage in his performance as the clumsy, bashful lawman.

Noteworthy in supporting roles are Robert Craig as Dirty Jake, Robert Weaver as Mayor Snodgrass and Michael Phipps as Thomas Biggalow.

What the cast lacks in finesse and polish, it more than compensates for in enthusiasm and energy. Considering that the whole performance lasts three hours, including two intermissions and a vaudeville show after the melodrama, the actors are certainly to be commended for their stamina.

MAGNIFICENT MELODRAMA

Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama and Vaudeville Company is at 45 E. High St. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Thursday and Sunday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; matinee is at 4 p.m. Saturday. “Sagebrush Gang” will run through April 7; tickets are $10 general, $7.50 (on Thursday and Sunday nights and Saturday matinee) for seniors and children under 12. Information: 805-529-1212.